‘Unhappy’ Indon takes pole

ROSARIO, Batangas – Ananda Mikola of Indonesia was unimpressed with the track and his car.

Despite this, Mikola displayed awesome driving skills, topping yesterday’s qualifying race to take the pole position in the 2005 Addict Mobile Asian Formula 3 Super Prix at the Batangas Racing Circuit here.

Driving for Team Fastron Racing with Threebond, Mikola picked up from where he left off in the practice races and edged last year’s winner, Aussie Christian Jones of Team Christian Jones Motorsport, and local teenage sensation Dado Pena of Ambi Pur Team Goddard-Minardi Team Asia by clocking one minute, 22.410 seconds.

As a result, Mikola takes the pole in today’s main race backed by Addict Mobile, Yokohama, Boysen, Motolite, PLDT My PAD (www.pldtmypad.com) and Lima City Hotel with Jones coming next and Pena at third. The meet’s media partners are Jam 88.3, Magic 89.9, 99.5 RT, 103.5 K Lite and Wave 89.1.

The 26-year-old Jones clocked 1:22.689 while Pena, the youngest in the international class at 17, timed in 1:23.689.

"I didn’t like the track. It’s so bumpy and my car needs improvement," said the 26-year-old Mikola. "But I kept pushing, seeing Christian (Jones) race."

Truly, Mikola needed to exert extra effort.

The Indon was already up after posting a 1:22.770 in the second of the three qualifying races until Jones capped his effort with his best time of 1:22.689, which that forced the former to work harder in his final attempt to secure the crucial advantage into today’s grueling 15-lap main race.

Despite the initial setback, Jones wasn’t bothered a bit.

"The transponder wasn’t working, but I did a really good time. I’m not really threatened," said Jones, whose other hobbies other than formula racing are mountain biking, jet-skiing and snowboarding.

Pena, now racing in the international class after finishing fourth overall in last year’s AF3 Promotions class, carried the fight for the host country despite some problems during the race.

"My tires got hot, I needed to re-pressure. I got back and my third gear broke so I needed to come out again," recalled Pena, who also had a minor crash in Friday’s practice sessions after he bumped into the tire cushions at the side of the 3.4-kilometer track.

"But I’m still doing great. I use pressure to my advantage," added the Filipino born in Spain, who considers Spanish Fernando Alonzo as one of his racing heroes.

Pre-tournament favorite John O’Hara of Ireland, the 2004 AF3 Driver of the Year and second overall, and 2003 AF3 series winner Pepon Marave of the Philippines didn’t fare that well.

O’Hara, who is already based here in the country and rides for Fujitsu Toyota Team Toms, was at No. 4 in 1:23.651 while Marave, the oldest and most experienced among the group at 39 and suiting up for Team Shell Helix Kinetic PCSO, was at ninth spot in 1:25.443.

Marave was even behind Promotions class pole leader Indon Moreno Soeprapto also of Denso Hanjin JF3 in 1:24.920. Irish Greg Murphy came in second in the same class in 1:27.258 and RP bet John Marcelo at third in 1:27.814.

Rounding up the International class were Filipino Tyson Sy of Speedtech Asia, Briton James Winslow of Shell Helix Kinetic PCSO, and Portuguese Rodolfo Avila of Fujitsu 10 Toyota Team Toms with times of 1:23.742, 1:23.856 and 1:24.045, respectively. JP Carino of Speedtech Asia and JP Tuason of Tuason Racing School completed the promotions class with 1:29.030 and 1:29.657, respectively.

Enzo Pastor of Shell Helix Kinetic PCSO and Renan Morales of Fujitsu 10 Toyota Team Toms will take the last two slots in the starting grid of the main race.